One of my favorite outings during my time in Paris was a visit to the Rene Furterer Institute. The few hours I spent there were incredible, and I highly recommend a visit if you are planning a visit to Paris anytime soon. If you can't make it to Paris, seek out a salon that provides their services for a consultation and treatment.
Rene Furterer is truly known for their treatment of those with thinning hair or those undergoing treatments that affect their hair (such as chemo). They use all essential oils, and undergoing one of their treatments has to be one of the most indulgent things you can do in Paris.
Jean Claude performed my treatment. He is a like a tall French Canadian version of Sean Connery. Really. He came in specially to treat the Total Beauty girls. He was once the Rene Furterer international trainer, he now comes in for VIPs. The man is a sweetheart, I felt incredibly lucky to have him touching my gross dirty hair!
My treatment started with dirty hair (at their request, this was easy since I had just flown in the night before!). Jean Claude brushed it forward into my face using 2 boar bristle brushes, and then back using the same brushes. We discussed my hair and scalp for a bit (I fall into the dry hair/scalp category with color treated hair). You can also be diagnosed on-line.
Next came the oils! First Jean Claude applied Complex 5 which he massaged in over my entire scalp. Complex 5 has a lot of oils in it, but is mostly based upon orange and lavender oils. It is meant to help stimulate the hair follicles and encourage healthy growth. After a couple of minutes you can feel a bit of warm tingling all over, which really feels like it is doing something to your head. Complex 5 is part of pretty much everyone's hair prescription.
Next Jean Claude applied Karité Oil to my head. This oil is for those with very dry hair/scalp, and is extracted from a West African fruit. It smells amazing, and I loved it's fruity/citrus scent! The Karité was applied down the hair shaft and distributed throughout with a wide tooth comb.
After both oils were applied Jean Claude let them sit for about 5-10 minutes and even directed a steamer like this one used for facials at my head to help it absorb. Jean Claude said if I was around my house on my computer or doing something I could leave the oils on for an entire afternoon. The oils were then shampooed out (he washed twice to get all of the oil out), and the final Karité Intense nourishing conditioning cream was then applied to my hair similar to a hair mask. Again I was steamed for about 10 minutes, then it was all rinsed out.
My end result was incredibly soft and shiny hair that looked healthier than when I had walked in!
I was sent home with this personal prescription with orders to perform the ritual every 7-10 days.
The products were available in pretty much every pharmacy in Paris, which probably explains why Parisian women appear to all have amazingly healthy hair that they just wear long and straight down to the middle of their backs. No curling, straightening, etc. If they don't have long hair they all have a simple bob.
Here in the US I have seen the products at Sephora (link below) and a few other stores/salons around me. I was surprised to check out the Rene Furterer site and see how many salons in my hair have their products/services.
Rene Furterer Institute
15 Place de Madeline
Paris, France+33 01 42 65 30 60
Rene Furterer.com
Rene Furterer at Sephora.com
P.S. Karité in Shea Butter ;)
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